Westmont PATCO Station To Reopen, Expand Service Amid Pandemic

HADDON TOWNSHIP, NJ — Four PATCO stations that closed in March amid the coronavirus pandemic will reopen on Monday and provide enhanced service, the mass transit system announced on Tuesday.

The Ashland, Westmont, City Hall and 12/13th Street stations will reopen on Monday, and will remain open 24 hours a day, PATCO announced. They had been closed since March 28. Read more here: Westmont PATCO Station To Close Temporarily Due To Coronavirus

All stations will be open 24 hours a day except the 9/10th & Locust Street station which closes daily between 12:07 a.m. and 4 a.m. The increased schedule is designed to provide additional capacity and more frequent train service, according to PATCO.

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“As more riders return to PATCO, we will be evaluating our approach and strategies relating to every aspect of how our service is delivered,” PATCO General Manager John D. Rink said. “Our goal now is to ensure our service provides enough capacity so that there is enough room on platforms and trains to facilitate appropriate social distancing.”

The agency said it is moving toward restoring normal operations as mass transit plays a vital role in economic recovery. As it reopens, PATCO said it will clean frequently and require all customers to wear face coverings while in stations, on platforms and onboard trains.

Signs are posted throughout the transit line to promote the face social distancing when traveling PATCO. In addition, hand sanitizer dispensers are available in all stations near the fare gates.

During the closures, work continued to progress on the elevator installation project and the elevator at Ashland Station has been completed and placed in service, according to officials.
Weekday train service will be increased to every 5 to 10 minutes during rush hour periods, PATCO said. Weekend departures remain the same with trains running every 20 minutes on Saturdays and 30 minutes on Sundays.

The service enhancements take effect 12:01 a.m. on Monday, according to PATCO.

See more stories about New Jersey's coronavirus recovery.